Rearview mirror support



Jn. 4, 1949. w. P` TOLBERT 2,458,117

REAR VIEW MIRROR SUPPORT Filed March 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y WMMM/ l Jan. '4, 1949. w. P. TQLBERT 2,458,117

REAR VIEW MIRROR SUPPORT Filed March 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 4, 1949 REARVIEW MIRROR surroRr wiuiam P. Tolbert, Fort Madison, Iowa; assignor to Anthos Force Oiler Company, Fort Madison, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa v ApplicationMarchZZ, 1945, Serial No. 584,051

The present invention relates to the mounting of rear view mirrors on vehicles and has for its principal object the provision of a novel mounting whereby the mirror may be held rigid and may also be folded out of the way with a minimum amount of difliculty. My invention is directed to the particular type of rear view mirror that is adapted to be mounted on the side of a vehicle, such as a truck, to project outwardly.

In such devices the principal vibration of the mirror is not a vertical one, but is in a forward and backward direction. An important purpose of my invention is to provide a mounting that stabilizes the mirror so as to reduce this vibration to a minimum.

My invention contemplates a mirror mounting wherein the mirror arm is mounted by a bracket that may iit a door hinge of the vehicle or it may be attached to a vehicle door or frame. This mirror arm is combined with a strut arm having a novel mounting to the vehicle door or body so as to provide rigidity in a forward and backward direction for the mirror arm without limiting the swinging of the mirror arm in a vertical direction when it is necessary to get the arm and mirror out of the way of any obstruction in close quarters, The invention is not limited to bracing the mirror arm in a horizontal direction, but it applies also where it is desired to accomplish the bracing in a vertical direction.

The nature and advantages of my invention will appear more fully from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is shown. It should be understood however that the drawings and description are illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the invention except insofar as it is limited by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a vehicle body showing a rear view mirror embodying my invention attached to the door thereof;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of the mounting brackets for the mirror arm;

Figure 5 is a plan view looking down on Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the strut arm universal mounting embodied in the invention; and

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-279) Figure '7 is a view looking upward at Figure 6 as indicated by the line 1---1,4

Referring nowto the drawings, my invention is embodied in a rear view mirrormounting which comprises a main mirror arm IIJ having two telescoping sections II and I2 which are held in adjustedposition with respect to each other by a set screw I3. A mirror I4 is mounted upon a ball I5 which has a stem I6 that is fastened to a flattened end' I1 on the arm portion. II, The stem is reduced in diameter where it passes through the portion Il, and a nut I8 clamps the portion I'I on the stem.

The arm I0 has a attened mounting head I9 at the end opposite 'the mirror. This mounting head is clamped in the jaws of a metal bracket 20 (see Figures 4 and 5). The lbracket 2D lits within a smaller bracket 2l of channel shape.. The bracket 20 has an ear 22, and the bracket 2I has an ear 23 by which they may be mounted upon a bolt 24. This boit 2'4 maybe a hingoioonl by which the door is hinged to the vehicle. The hinge cover is indicated at 25. h The, lower bracket4 20 has elongated slots 26Min the leg portions thereof.

' that is connected to the arm I0 and extended to the vehicle door where it is mounted by a special bracket 3 I. The strut arm 30 is composed of two telescoping sections 32 and 33 that may be locked together by a set screw 34. The one end of the strut arm is pivoted by a bolt 35 and a clamping ring 36 to the arm I0. The end of the section 33 is flattened to provide for pivoting it on the bolt 35. This pivotal connection allows the arm 30 to be adjusted to the proper length for holding the mirror I4 and its arm II) in the desired position. The head end of the section 32 of the arm 30 has a bearing portion 3'I thereon which is substantially spherical. This portion engages two opposed spherically formed surfaces 38 and 33 of the leg portions 40 and 4I respectively of the bracket 3l. It will be noted that the leg portion 40 is substantially longer than the leg portion 4I so that the'two spherical parts 38 and 39 are opposite each other. The two leg portions 40 and 4I are clamped together by a screw bolt 42 that is y The bracket 2l has "round openings shown at 21 to receive a bolt 28 b'yiwhich the two brackets are clamped uponI the 'flattenedhead I9.` In order to oppose swinging movement of the threaded into the base of the leg portion 4I. The bracket 3l has two mounting ears 43 and 44 by which it may be fastened to the vehicle door 45.

It is believed that the foregoing description is suflicient to indicate the nature of my invention. The device shown is installed by mounting the brackets 20 and 2l on the bolt 24 and by mounting the bracket 3th ont the door 45'. 'I-he bracket 3| normally slficrulcliv bez substantiallyj in. horizontal alignment with the parts 24 and 25. The mirror can swing horizontally with the door of the vehicle? as it isopened. Furthermore, because of the particular ball and socket mounting provided by the bracket mounting 3l and. the, ball. 3l it, is -v possible to swing the' mirror uit out ci? the-,Wan4 of obstructions in close quarters. The triangular' bracing provided by the strut arrn`3ll functions to eliminate objectionable vibration irr a forward" and rearward direction which is so pronounced on rear view mirrors that stand out from the vehicle..`

Having' thus described' my in-ventionl L claim:

1. Mounting meansfor applyingv rear view mir rors andthe like to vehicles, comprising in combination a. main. mirror supporting arm.. a bracket carrying said arm and adapted to be mounted on the vehicle the mirror supporting arm. being mounted for vertical' swinging. movement in the bracket, a. strutjarrn having` one endA pivoted. to. the, mirror arm at a. distance, from the bracket end. thereofA and on an axis at right angles to the pivotal' axis. oi the main arm.. and a. bracket supporting the other end' of said strut. arm. and spaced` horizontally from. the. bracket carrying the mirror supporting, arm. and adapted to be.

mounted; on the vehicle in spaced relation to the first. named bracket, said last named, bracket beingA` connected' with the strut. arm by a. universal. joint..

2'.` Mounting. means for applying rear. View mirrors andthe like tovehicles comprising. in comh bination amainmirror. supporting arma bracket. calming. saidr ann` and adapted to. be4 mounted on theV vehicle, a. strut arm comprising two. arm

sections slidably. engaged. for endwise movement l with respect. to each. other to, vary the length ot the strut arm., said, arm having one. end pivoted. to the. mirror annata distance. from.` the. bracket.

4 end thereof, and a bracket supporting the other end of said strut arm and spaced horizontally from the bracket carrying the mirror supporting arm and adapted to be mounted on the vehicle in spaced relation to the rst named bracket, said last named bracket comprising a base mounting portion having front and back Wing portions extending outwardly at anL angle toward theamirror armi. theeback wing portion being longer than the front portion, concave bearing surfaces in said portions and a convex bearing surface on the strut arm engaged therewith.

3. Mountingmeans for applying rear View mirrors andi the like to; vehicles comprising in combinastion amainr, mirror supporting arm, a bracket carrying; saidf arme and adapted to be mounted on the vehicle, a strut arm having one end pivoted to the' mirror arm at a distance from the bracket end. thereof, and a bracket supporting the other end of said strut arm amd spaced horizontally from. the bracket carrying, the mirror supporting arm and adapted to be mounted on the vehicle in spaced" relation to therstnamed bracket, said last named bracket comprising a base mounting portion having front and back wing portions extending diagonally from the base portion toward the mirror arm, said portionsJ providing two opposed spherical socket portions, adjustableI screw means urgingA said socket. portions together,

39% ,andi the strut arm having aball end held in. said portions..

WILLIAM P. TOLBERT.

REFERENCES CITED le of this patent:l y

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number 418,304. Duggan Jan. 7, 1890- 6921.6218 Jordan Mar. 4 1902 8153.91 Eergusson- Mar; 27, 1906 3125.430 Southwick Oct. 1l, 1910' 1)*217519574. Mosher Aug. 13, 1918 L,2Bll',(ll3, Goddard Sept. i3, 1918 2,134,016 Zink Oct. 25, 1938 sauer Jan. 1o,l 1939 The following references are of record in. the l 

